1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a system for allowing the mapping of multiple entities on a network to a single address.
2. Description of the Related Art
Most machines on the Internet use TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) to send data to other machines on the Internet. To transmit data from a source to a destination, the Internet protocol (IP) uses an IP address. The Internet protocol has been in use for over two decades and has worked well, as demonstrated by the exponential growth of the Internet. Unfortunately, the Internet is rapidly becoming a victim of its own popularity. It is running out of addresses. Therefore, a system is needed that can effectively alleviate the diminishing IP addresses problem.
The IPNet Gateway (IPNGw) is a new technology that maps multiple servers on a private IP network to a single IP address on the Internet. The servers are referenced uniquely using their Internet domain names. The IPNet Gateway offers a solution to the Internet IP address shortage problem. It is also being considered as the basis for a secure firewall design.
As requests come in for DNS resolution of the server""s domain name, the IPNet Gateway records the domain of the requesting client and the name of the requested server, and returns its own address as the destination address for the requested domain name. This DNS response is set as non-cacheable to prevent the association between the IPNGw IP address and the domain name of the target server beyond the anticipated following transaction from the client. As soon as the IPNGw responds to the DNS request it enters into a waiting state anticipating a connection from the client to the specific server identified in the DNS request. Subsequently, the client establishes a connection with the IPNGw, which in turn relays the connection request to the server.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description in which the preferred embodiment of the invention has been set forth in conjunction with the drawings.